Bethel budget hearing draws small crowd

Updated 8:41 pm, Thursday, April 10, 2014

BETHEL -- The Board of Finance has amended the proposed spending plan for 2014-15 based on some residents comments at the public hearing this week, and the budget will go to a town meeting May 5.

The new budget plan is $69.3 million, $39,285 higher than the plan discussed Tuesday night at a public hearing at Bethel High School.

Finance Board Chairman William Kingston said Thursday the board voted to eliminate the $93,000 backhoe loader from the capital account and made changes to the capital and operating accounts that reduced the capitol account by about $200,000.

"We heard the residents that said we should not borrow for small things," Kingston said. "They were right."

Now instead of being in the capital account, these items were moved to the town operations plan: two funnel plows at $15,000; athletic field work of $35,225; parking lot work at Berry School for $30,000; Seeley House shutter repair of $4,800; and painting Seeley House for $19,000.

The board voted to add $39,285 for a new vehicle for the fire department to use to pull its safety equipment, but agreed to spend $30,000 in the current budget to treat the new wood floor on the third floor of the library so potential spills could not leak onto library materials below.

The plan represents a 3.3 percent, or $2.2 million, increase in spending and if adopted by residents at the referendum in May, would increase the mill rate by 0.88.

About 56 residents turned out at the public hearing that occurred at the same time as the University of Connecticut women's basketball championship.

Opponents were in higher numbers among the nearly dozen residents who spoke at the hearing.

"I think it's a conscientious budget that reflects the reality of the economy and also balances the needs of the education system."

The plan includes the Board of Education's request of $42.1 million, an increase of $1.2 million over current spending, and $27.1 million for town operations, which is $1 million more than current spending.

He criticized President Barack Obama's health care plan, which he said added a fee to the town's medical costs, and the president's support of raising minimum wages, which would increase labor costs for local taxpayers, Michael said.

"We take it and take it," he said. "It means young people can't afford to live here. Your collective work adds to the people leaving town. I'm opposed to this budget."

"We need to be sensitive to the affordability of residents," Crnic said. "Our tax rates are higher than other towns and the economy is not out of the woods."

A few residents were critical of the proposal to increase the first selectman's salary by $5,000, which the finance board, and former Board of Finance member J. Philip Gallagher, said was based on comparable town salaries.

Gallagher warned the finance board members their authority would be reduced if the proposal of the Charter Revision Commission is passed to eliminate the board's ability to adjust line items of departments.

It would mean the board could change only the bottom line of the department budget.

Former Selectman William Duff suggested the finance board should eliminate the $5,000 stipends given to the second and third selectmen.

Former First Selectwoman Alice Hutchinson congratulated the finance board for its work.

"Thank you for all you have done," she said. "It's a remarkable budget. We live in a modest town and it's a responsible budget."

Kingston, who chaired the meeting, said the town would borrow $1.5 million for road repairs in this budget. In addition, he said the proposal also uses $300,000 from the operating budget and $200,000 left over from this year's road budget to come up with the $2 million town officials agreed to spend on roads over four years.